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Fusion Beam
The Fusion Beam is an ESC 1 Transhuman anti-Block weapon with respectable range and a special ability that allows it to deal additional damage to Blocks depending on the number of enemy structures/weapons they contain. Story Weaponized fusion is another antiquated technology present in the Transhuman arsenal that has persisted throughout countless Transhuman and Human conflicts in the past, usually in the form of fusion bombs or other explosives that operate by similar principles. While such weaponry was irrefutably effective in a majority of interstellar conflicts, most attempts at weaponizing fusion in other ways were unsuccessful, as the unstable nature of such reactions in the realm of weaponry made it impossible for them to serve any other function aside from that of a high explosive. This all changed with the discovery of forced banal-atom fusion, which allowed stable, mostly inert matter to be used as fuel for emerging fusion reactions. With this technology, weaponized fusion reactions could not only maintain cohesion through ambient particle absorption, but increase their destructiveness based on the material composition of their targets. This led to significant developments in the realm of fusion explosives, but the greatest application of this technology came in the form of the Reactive Plasma Projection Array, or, as it is colloquially known, the Fusion Beam. Little more than a particle funnel attached to a massive fusion reactor, the Fusion Beam, when firing, pours out a scorching hot stream of plasma generated inside of its reactor, which, upon contact with solid matter, creates an explosive chain reaction that rapidly engulfs its target in a destructive miasma of energy. Though simple in design, the Fusion Beam has proved to be particularly effective against larger enemy targets, as the chain-reaction triggered by beam contact increases dramatically in scale when supplied with more matter that it can use as fuel. To minimize particle dispersion, the Fusion Beam is locked to a specific set of axis that it can fire along, though the forced banal-atom fusion technology incorporated into the beam itself allows it to retain its cohesion for a very long period of time, giving the beam an excellent maximum range. While it is best known for its role in Transhuman siege warfare, fusion beam technology has been downsized for use on smaller Transhuman forces, and is frequently used as a personal defense weapon by Transhumans traveling through hostile enemy territory. These smaller fusion beam models, which still operate by the same principles, aren't as immediately destructive as their larger counterpart. Instead of simply being vaporized by a storm of plasma, matter contained in the targets hit by personal fusion beams is fused together into a messy conglomeration. When such effects are applied to living targets, the results are often grotesque, causing targets to be fused with their clothing/equipment in a process they all universally describe as "excruciatingly painful." Gameplay Out of all the ESC 1 weapons in the Transhuman arsenal, the Fusion Beam has the highest possible damage output, perfectly complementing its role as an early-game Block destroyer. While its base damage is listed as 40, it is effectively capable of dealing up to 70 damage depending on the number of enemy weapons/structures located on the Block it is attacking. This total damage output is nothing to scoff at, and is especially useful in the early game, where the low Block limit often forces players to pack most of their infrastructure onto a single Block. While it has no upgrades that influence it directly, the Fusion Beam can retain its viability throughout the early and mid game thanks to its naturally high damage and excellent range. Its range, in particular, is one of the Fusion Beam's greatest features, surpassing that of numerous other Transhuman weapons at both ESC 1 and ESC 2. Assuming it is positioned correctly, the Fusion Beam can attack enemy Logistics Blocks and cripple their defenses while simultaneously avoiding enemy weapons. Since it has cross-type range, it is crucial that a Transhuman player position their Fusion Beams strategically so as to ensure they can target enemy Blocks. While this is easy enough on maps with narrow choke points, more open maps can make consistent usage of Fusion Beams more difficult. This is especially true against Halax players, who can easily teleport their Blocks elsewhere if they come under attack. While it is worth keeping Fusion Beams around well into the mid-game, keep in mind that the weapon comes with its fair share of limitations, and can be rendered much less effective against enemies that specialize their forces towards mobility or defense.